Al Boschetto

You'll smell the garlic and basil before you even push through the door of this Ballsbridge Italian spot. The dining room has that lived-in warmth of a proper family trattoria - checkered tablecloths, wine bottles lining the walls, and the kind of atmosphere where regulars are greeted by name. The kitchen takes Italian cooking seriously here, rolling fresh pasta daily and building flavours the slow way. The menu reads like a love letter to traditional Italian cooking, from silky cacio e pepe to robust osso buco that falls off the bone. Their tiramisu is the real deal - none of that overly sweet nonsense you get elsewhere. Service strikes that perfect balance between attentive and unobtrusive, letting you linger over a bottle of Chianti without feeling rushed.